Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Transparency And Accountability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Assembly passes use-of-force bill after debate that focused on Attorney General compliance with data posting
Summary
The Assembly passed Assembly Bill 41 75, which concerns law enforcement use of force and requires reporting of such incidents; the vote was 49-26-1 after floor debate that centered on whether the Attorney General will implement the reporting requirements.
The New Jersey General Assembly passed Assembly Bill 41 75 on final reading, a bill that addresses the use of force by law enforcement officers under specified circumstances and requires certain reporting. Assemblywoman Park moved the bill; the measure passed on a roll call of 49 in favor, 26 opposed and 1 abstention.
During floor debate, several members supported the bill’s reporting provisions as a transparency measure. Opponents objected specifically to a provision directing the Attorney General to post certain use-of-force data on the AG’s website. Assemblyman Jay Weber said the objection was not to transparency itself but to enforcement: "this attorney general doesn't care what we say," he said, arguing the AG had failed to implement prior statutory posting requirements and similar measures passed by the Legislature.
Weber recounted prior bills directing the Attorney General to post data — on law enforcement suicides, assaults and civil asset forfeiture — that had not been implemented, and he said the chamber should consider whether to place additional directives on an office that, he argued, had not complied previously. Supporters said public posting would help build trust and allow evaluation of patterns of force.
After debate, the clerk reported the tally: 49 yes, 26 no, 1 abstention. The Speaker declared the bill passed and directed it to take the usual course of past bills.
